Intelligence agency

An intelligence agency is a governmental agency that is devoted to information gathering (known in the context as "intelligence assessment") for purposes of national security and defence. Means of information gathering may include espionage, communication interception, cryptanalysis, cooperation with other institutions, and evaluation of public sources. The assembly and propagation of this information is known as intelligence analysis.

Intelligence agencies can provide the following services for their national governments.

• provide analysis in areas relevant to national security;
• give early warning of impending crises;
• serve national and international crisis management by helping to discern the intentions of current or potential opponents;
• inform national defence planning and military operations;
• protect secrets, both of their own sources and activities, and those of other state agencies; and
• may act covertly to influence the outcome of events in favour of national interests, or influence international security.

Intelligence agencies are also involved in defensive activities such as counter-intelligence and counter-terrorism.

There is a distinction between "security intelligence" and "foreign intelligence". Security intelligence pertains to national security threats (e.g. terrorism, espionage). Foreign intelligence involves information collection relating to the political, or economic activities of foreign states.

Some agencies have been involved in assassination, arms trafficking, coups d'état, and the placement of misinformation (propaganda) as well as other covert operations, in order to support their own or their governments' interests.

List of major intelligence agencies (by country)

Argentina

• Coordinación de Informaciones de Estado (CIDE)

Australia

• Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS)
• Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO)
• Australian Army Intelligence Corps (AUSTINT)
• Australian Federal Police (AFP) Intelligence
• Defence Imagery and Geospatial Organisation (DIGO)
• Defence Intelligence Organisation (DIO)
• Defence Signals Directorate (DSD)
• Office of National Assessments (ONA)

Bangladesh

• Special Branch (SB)
• National Security Intelligence (NSI)
• Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI)

Belgium

• Staatsveiligheid / Sûreté de l'État (SV/SE)  – State Security Service

Brazil

• Agência Brasileira de Inteligência (ABIN)  – Brazilian Intelligence Agency

Canada

• Canadian Security Intelligence Service / Service Canadien du renseignement de sécurité (CSIS/SCRS)
• Communications Security Establishment (CSE)
• Canadian Forces Intelligence Branch

Chile

• Agencia Nacional de Inteligencia (ANI) National Intelligence Agency

People's Republic of China

• Ministry of State Security (MSS)

Colombia

• Departamento Administrativo de Seguridad (DAS) Administrative Department of Security (of Colombia)

Cuba

• Intelligence Directorate

Czech Republic

• Bezpečnostní informační služba (BIS)  – Security Information Service
• Úřad pro zahraniční styky a informace (ÚZSI)  – Office for Foreign Relations and Information
• Vojenské zpravodajství (VZ)  – Military Intelligence

Denmark

• Politiets Efterretningstjeneste (PET)  – Danish Security and Intelligence Service
• Forsvarets Efterretningstjeneste (FE)  – Danish Defence Intelligence Service

Egypt

• Al-Mukhabarat al-'Ammah  – Egyptian General Intelligence Directorate
• Mabahith Amn al-Dawla al-'Ulya  – State Security Investigation Bureau (replaced by National Security Sector)
• Al-Mukhabarat al-Harbeya (Military Intelligence)

Estonia

• Kaitsepolitseiamet - Estonian Security Police

Finland

• Suojelupoliisi (SUPO)  – Security Intelligence Service

France

• Minister of Defence
  • Direction Générale de la Sécurité Extérieure (DGSE)  – General Directorate of External Security
  • Direction du Renseignement Militaire (DRM)  – Directorate of Military Intelligence
  • Direction de la Protection et de la Sécurité de la Défense (DPSD)  – Directorate for the Protection and the Security of the Defence
• Minister of the Interior
  • Direction Centrale du Renseignement Intérieur (DCRI)  – Central Directorate of Interior Intelligence
  • Unité de Coordination de la Lutte Antiterroriste (UCLA)  – Co-ordination Unit of the Fight Against Terrorism
  • Direction du Renseignement de la Préfecture de Police (DRPP) Directorate of the Prefecture of Police Intelligence
• Minister of the Economy, Industry and Employment
  • Traitement du Renseignement et Action Contre les Circuits Financiers Clandestins (TRACFIN)  – Intelligence Treatment and Action Against Underground Financial Circuits
  • Direction Nationale du Renseignement et des Enquêtes Douanières (DNRED)  – National Directorate of the Intelligence and Customs Investigations

Germany

• Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND)  – Federal Intelligence Service
• Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz (BfV)  – Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
• Militärischer Abschirmdienst (MAD)  – Military Counterintelligence Service

Greece

• Ethniki Ypiresia Pliroforion (NIS)  – Hellenic National Intelligence Service

India

• Internal Security
  • Intelligence Bureau
  • Joint Intelligence Committee
  • Central Bureau of Investigation
  • Criminal Investigation Department
  • All India Radio Monitoring Service
• External Intelligence
  • Research and Analysis Wing
  • Aviation Research Centre
  • National Technical Research Organisation
  • Radio Research Center
  • Electronics and Technical Services
• Defence Intelligence
  • Directorate of Military Intelligence
  • Defense Intelligence Agency
  • Directorate of Naval Intelligence
  • Directorate of Air Intelligence
  • Image Processing and Analysis Centre
  • Directorate of Signals Intelligence
  • Joint Cipher Bureau
• Economic Intelligence
  • Directorate of Revenue Intelligence
  • Economic Intelligence Council
  • Directorate of Income Tax Investigation
  • Narcotics Control Bureau
  • Central Economic Intelligence Bureau
  • Directorate of Economic Enforcement
  • Directorate of Anti-Evasion

Indonesia

• Badan Intelijen Negara (BIN)
• Badan Intelijen Strategis (BAIS)
• Badan Intelijen Keamanan (BAINTELKAM)

Iran

• Ministry of Intelligence and National Security (VEVAK)
• NAJA
• Intelligence and security organization of Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (SASA)
• SAVAK Defunct secret police,replacement by VEVAK

Iraq

• Iraqi National Intelligence Service (INIS)

Ireland

• G2 Army Intelligence (G2)
• Garda National Surveillance Unit (NSU)
• Irish Secret Service (ISS)

Israel

• ha-Mossad le-Modiin u-le-Tafkidim Myukhadim (Mossad)  – Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations
• Shirut Bitahon Klali (ISA)  – Israel Security Agency
• Aman  – Military Intelligence Directorate

Italy

• Agenzia Informazioni e Sicurezza Interna (AISI)  – Agency for Internal Information and Security
• Agenzia Informazioni e Sicurezza Esterna (AISE)  – Agency for External Information and Security

Japan

• Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office
• Defense Intelligence Headquarters
• Public Security Intelligence Agency

Jordan

• Dairat al-Mukhabarat al-Ammah

Lithuania

• Valstybės Saugumo Departamentas (VSD)  – State Security Department
• Antrasis operatyvinių tarnybų departamentas prie Krašto apsaugos ministerijos (AOTD)  – II-nd Investigation Department

Macedonia

• Управа за безбедност и контраразузнавање (UBK)  – Administration for Security and Intelligence

Malaysia

• Kor Risik DiRaja  – Royal Intelligence Corps
• Malaysian Special Branch of the Royal Malaysian Police
• National Security Council (Malaysia)
• National Security Division (BKN)
• Defence Staff Intelligence Division
• Public Safety & Security Division

Mexico

• Centro de Investigación y Seguridad Nacional (CISEN)  – National Security and Investigation Center
• Agencia Federal de Investigacion (AFI)  – Federal Investigation Agency

Morocco

• Direction de la Surveillance du Territoire (DST)  – Directorate of Territorial Surveillance
• Direction Generale des Etudes et la Documentation (DGED)  –

Netherlands

• Algemene Inlichtingen- en Veiligheidsdienst (AIVD)  – General Intelligence and Security Service
• Militaire Inlichtingen- en Veiligheidsdienst (MIVD)  – Military Intelligence and Security Service
• Nationaal Coördinator Terrorismebestrijding (NCTb)  – Domestic Counter-Terrorist Unit
• 'Fiscale inlichtingen- en opsporingsdienst (FIOD-ECD)  – Fiscal Information and Investigation Service

New Zealand

• New Zealand Security Intelligence Service (NZSIS)
• Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB)

Norway

• National Security Authority (NSM)
• Norwegian Police Security Service (PST)
• Norwegian Intelligence Service (E-tjenesten)

Pakistan

• Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI)
• Military Intelligence (MI)
• Intelligence Bureau (IB)
• Federal Investigation Agency (FIA)
• Criminal Investigation Department (CID)

Philippines

• National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA)
• National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)

Poland

• Agencja Wywiadu (AW)  – Foreign Intelligence Agency
• Agencja Bezpieczeństwa Wewnętrznego (ABW)  – Internal Security Agency
• Służba Wywiadu Wojskowego (SWW)  – Military Intelligence Service
• Służba Kontrwywiadu Wojskowego (SKW)  – Military Counterintelligence Service
• Centralne Biuro Antykorupcyjne (CBA)  – Central Anticorruption Bureau

Portugal

• Serviço de Informações de Segurança (SIS)  – Security Intelligence Service
• Serviço de Informações Estratégicas de Defesa (SIED)  – Strategic Defense Intelligence Service
• Sistema de Informações da República Portuguesa (SIRP)  – Intelligence System of the Portuguese Republic

Romania

• Serviciul Roman de Informatii (SRI)  – Romanian Information Service

Russian Federation

• Federalnaya Sluzhba Bezopasnosti (FSB)  – Federal Security Service
• Glavnoye Razvedyvatelnoye Upravlenie Genshtaba (GRU)  – Main Intelligence Directorate of General Staff
• Sluzhba Vneshney Razvedki (SVR)  – Foreign Intelligence Service

Saudi Arabia

• Al Mukhabarat Al A'amah  – General Intelligence Directorate

Serbia

• Bezbednosno Informativna Agencija (BIA) Security Informative Agency
• Vojnoobavestajna agencija (VOA) Military Intelligence Agency

Singapore

• Security and Intelligence Division (SID)
• Internal Security Department (ISD)

Slovakia

• Slovenská informačná služba (SIS)  – Slovak Information Service
• Vojenská spravodajská služba (VSS)  – Military Intelligence Service
• Národný bezpečnostný úrad (NBS)  – National Security Agency

Slovenia

• Slovenska obveščevalno-varnostna agencija (SOVA)  – Slovenian Intelligence and Security Agency

South Africa

• National Intelligence Agency (NIA)
• South African Secret Service (SASS)

South Korea

• National Intelligence Service (NIS)

Spain

• Centro Nacional de Inteligencia (CNI)  – National Intelligence Centre

Sweden

• Säkerhetspolisen (SÄPO)  – Swedish Security Service
• Kontoret för särskild inhämtning (KSI)  – Office for Special Acquisition
• Militära underrättelse- och säkerhetstjänsten (MUST)  – Military Intelligence and Security Service
• Försvarets radioanstalt (FRA)  – National Defence Radio Establishment

Republic of China (Taiwan)

• National Security Bureau (NSB)
• Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau (MJIB)
• Bureau of Military Intelligence

Tunisia

• Direction de la Surveillance du Territoire (DST) – Directorate of Territorial Surveillance

Turkey

• Milli İstihbarat Teşkilatı (MİT)  – National Intelligence Organization

Ukraine

• Holovne Upravlinnya Rozvidky (HUR)  – Central Intelligence Directorate
• Sluzhba Bezpeky Ukrayiny (SBU) – Security Service of Ukraine
• Sluzhba Zovnishnioyi Rozvidky Ukrayiny (SZR or SZRU)  – Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine

United Kingdom

• Defence Intelligence
• Secret Intelligence Service (SIS or MI6)
• Special Branch
• Security Service (colloquially MI5)
• Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ)

United States

• Independent agencies
  • Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
• United States Department of Defense
  • Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency (AFISRA)
  • United States Army Intelligence and Security Command (MI)
  • Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA)
  • Marine Corps Intelligence Activity (MCIA)
  • National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA)
  • National Reconnaissance Office (NRO)
  • National Security Agency (NSA)
  • Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI)
• United States Department of Energy
  • Office of Intelligence and Counterintelligence (OICI)
• United States Department of Homeland Security
  • Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A)
  • Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS)
• United States Department of Justice
  • Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
  • Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
• United States Department of State
  • Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR)
• United States Department of the Treasury
  • Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence

Vietnam

• Tổng cục 2(TC2)

See also

• Intelligence (information gathering)
• List of defunct intelligence agencies
• List of intelligence gathering disciplines
  • HUMINT or human intelligence
  • GEOINT or geospatial intelligence
  • IMINT or imagery intelligence
  • MASINT or measures and signatures intelligence
  • OSINT or open source intelligence
  • SIGINT or signals intelligence
    • COMINT or communications intelligence
    • ELINT or electronics intelligence
• List of primary and secondary sources on the Cold War
• Mukhabarat
• Secret police
• Secret service
• Security agency
• United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court
• Chinese Intelligence Operations in the United States

Further reading

Books

• Christopher Andrew, Richard J. Aldrich and Wesley K. Wark (eds.) Secret Intelligence: A Reader, London: Routledge, 2008
• Encyclopedia of espionage, intelligence, and security, hrg. von K. Lee Lerner und Brenda Wilmoth Lerner, 3 Bände, Detroit [u.a.] : Gale [u.a.], 2004
• Rhodri Jeffreys-Jones, Cloak and Dollar: A History of American Secret Intelligence, Yale University Press, 2002
• Richard C. S. Trahair, Encyclopedia of Cold War espionage, spies, and secret operations, Westport, Conn. [u.a.] : Greenwood Press, 2004
• Amy B. Zegart, Flawed by design : the evolution of the CIA, JCS, and NSC, Stanford, Calif. : Stanford Univ. Press, 1999

Journals

• The Journal of Intelligence History

Reports

• Ruiz, Victor H., 2010. "A Knowledge Taxonomy for Army Intelligence Training: An Assessment of the Military Intelligence Basic Officer Leaders Course Using Lundvall’s Knowledge Taxonomy". Applied Research Projects. Texas State University Paper 331. http://ecommons.txstate.edu/arp/331

External links

• world intelligence rankings
• Intelligence News
• Outsourcing Intelligence
• Article on intelligence services by the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces
• Proposal for a Privacy Protection Guideline on Secret Personal Data Gathering and Transborder Flows of Such Data in the Fight against Terrorism and Serious Crime by Marcel Stuessi
• Intelligence Online Investigative news and reporting on intelligence agencies world-wide.
• All mentions of international intelligence agencies filtered from the online news stream by Social Elephant